Path to Prosperity: A LitRPG Adventure by HideousGrain

Author:HideousGrain [HideousGrain]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2025-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

28

PARESIS DOOM

Percy could suddenly sense an increase in mana to his left—at least twice, maybe even three times as much as before. He would have noticed if the mana had been this dense earlier. What had changed?

Various explanations flashed through his mind, but he locked onto one idea.

Natural treasure! Something releasing an incredible amount of mana must have ripened in the last few minutes!

He couldn’t believe his luck. If his guess was correct and a magical herb potent enough to influence the surroundings like this had just ripened, he could strike it rich. Percy turned left and was about to push through the thicket to search for the source of the mana when a sudden yelp made him freeze. He held his breath instinctively.

The Archyeas?! he shrieked inwardly but quickly discarded the thought. There was no grotesque giggling accompanying the sound. It sounded more like a—pained?—yelp.

The sound was faintly familiar, but Percy was certain it wasn’t the eerie giggle of a lesser demon. Suddenly, a second yelp followed, weaker this time.

His lips parted as he took a deep breath and moved silently around one of the taller bushes. Skulking closer, Percy approached a small gap between two thorny shrubs. He infused mana into his narrowed eyes and peeked through the gap.

Flowers? He noticed a batch of flowers with ocean-blue petals first. Beside them lay a plucked flower, but his attention snapped to the Gnoll writhing on the ground next to it when it let out another yelp.

The Gnoll was dying, and the culprit appeared to be… a flower? Was that even possible, or was he missing something?

No. The Gnoll seemed unscathed on the outside, yet it writhed right next to a single, plucked flower.

Percy tensed at the thought of a flower being powerful enough to kill a mature Gnoll, but he didn’t flee. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on the flowers, inspecting them intently from his hiding spot.

The flower beside the Gnoll looks different, he realized. While its ocean-blue petals were still shrouded in a dim glow, the stalk didn’t look as vibrant as the other flowers. It almost seemed to writhe in pain, much like the dying Gnoll beside it. However, Percy’s focus soon shifted to the light-brown roots—also shrouded in something.

Maybe the roots were releasing something. That could explain why the ambient mana had suddenly become denser. Percy pushed the thought aside, narrowing his gaze as he studied the roots more closely.

Something akin to mist poured from the roots, streaming toward the Gnoll.

The monster continued to writhe and yelp, but its movements were growing weaker, slower. It didn’t take long before the Gnoll stopped moving altogether.

Percy swallowed hard. The Gnoll looked dead, but he stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the deadly flowers while channeling more mana to enhance his vision. Only after what felt like an eternity, when the mist shrouding the Gnoll finally dispersed, did he dare to move.

His mana reserves were nearly drained, but Percy was fairly sure the flower’s roots wouldn’t release any more of their lethal mist.

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